Banana – Fattening Or Not?
Are bananas fattening? Well, the truth is that the banana itself does not contain any calories, but there are certain additives found in the skin of this common fruit that can lead to storing excess fat. Consuming too many bananas may result in having a layer of fat around your waist which can be a cause of excessive weight gain. However, the good news is that there are some simple home cooking tips that you can use when preparing this very popular fruit.
Nutrition Of Banana
Yes, bananas are good for you and they are one of the most nutritious fruits to include in your diet. This is because of the nutrients that they provide such as vitamins A, B, C and E plus potassium which make them very helpful in reducing blood pressure and improving heart health. However, bananas are also rich in fiber making them a very good dietary fiber to include in your daily diet. In addition to being high in fiber, they also help in keeping your digestive system functioning properly. Therefore, consuming a banana after every meal or snack will help improve your gut health as well as keep your stomach full.
Bananas are a great source of dietary fiber and protein, which make them an excellent addition to your regular diet. However, they are rather slimming so eating too many servings would result in getting fat. So, instead of eating plantains that are made from beans or peanuts that contain lots of calories, substitute plantains with a banana. Plantains are also a great source of protein which can be used to prepare meals that are low in calories.
However, the potassium that is present in bananas also helps in regulating your blood pressure. This is because potassium helps by keeping the levels of sodium in your blood at a normal level. Thus, consuming extra amounts of potassium can help you maintain healthy blood pressure.
Aside from potassium, bananas are also good sources of magnesium. Magnesium plays an important role in ensuring that your nervous system functions well. Therefore, you can effectively fight insomnia, fatigue, and even muscle pain since magnesium is known to enhance nerve function.
But, despite their benefits in regards to your body’s health, you should not completely disregard bananas as a snack or meal. In fact, bananas are one of the best healthy fruits in terms of nutrition since it provides almost half of your daily calorie requirement. Furthermore, it is one of the few fruits that are high in natural sugar so eating it is not at all bad for your health. Keep in mind though that if you are trying to lose weight, it is important that you reduce your calorie intake and since bananas are considered a low calorie fruit, it is a very good food for that purpose.
If you want to see the effects of banana on your body, simply eat one medium banana. This should give you the recommended daily allowance of potassium. Since bananas have a lot of calories but very little of natural sugar, you will still be able to meet your daily requirements. So if you feel that you need to reduce your calorie intake, replacing your meal with a banana is the perfect solution. It will still help you get your daily requirement of potassium while satisfying your taste buds.
If you are planning to buy bananas because of the question “Are bananas fattening?” in your mind, the best way to find out is to try it out yourself. Simply cook up a bunch of bananas and see if it will make your body fat rise. Although it may taste horrible, it is certainly one of the healthiest options you have. After all, do you really want to go into cooking your own fruit?